This trial is the first time CXD101 has been tested in humans. People entering the trial were treated at different doses to establish the best dose for further testing.

More than half of the people entering the trial had lymphoma. They had received an average of four previous courses of treatment but their lymphoma had relapsed (come back) or was refractory (didn’t respond) to their previous treatment. The other participants had different types of advanced (widespread) cancer.

What is CXD101?

CXD101 is a targeted drug that works by blocking substances called ‘histone deacetylases’, which affect the activity of many proteins in different types of cells, including cancer cells. Blocking histone deacetylases in cancer cells could cause the cells to die or control their growth.

Some people with lymphoma responded to treatment

The trial was not designed to test how effective CXD101 is at treating cancer, but some encouraging initial responses were seen.

Around two-thirds (11 of 17 people) of people with lymphoma who were treated with the higher doses of CXD101 tested had a reduction in their lymphoma.

One person with follicular lymphoma had a complete response (no lymphoma left after treatment). The four people who had a complete or partial response.

Side effects were as expected

The most common side effects were nausea, fatigue and low blood counts. Some people had changes on their ECGs (a test that measures the electrical activity of the heart). These side effects got better after treatment. The most active dose that didn’t cause too many serious side effects was selected for further testing. At higher doses, more serious problems with infections occurred.

This trial is still open to new participants

The selected dose is being tested in more people with relapsed and refractory lymphoma and advanced cancer. Find out more about this trial, or learn more about clinical trials at Lymphoma TrialsLink.

These initial results are encouraging but it is early days. We are very keen now to treat more patients with lymphoma who have no standard treatment option, to see how often we see patients respond and how long these responses last. Furthermore, new trials are now in development to see if combining CXD101 with other drugs could be a useful way forward.

Dr Graham Collins, Consultant Haematologist at the hospital that ran the trial